


Cupid's Bow

by circamoore



Series: After That Day [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 15:25:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5591431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/circamoore/pseuds/circamoore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of glimpses into the beginnings of Blake and Yang's relationship, first person present pov (Blake), Ruby/Weiss hinted in the background. Post volume 2 divergent, set second year or early third year (ie after Vytal Festival).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cupid's Bow

**Author's Note:**

> RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and the brainchild of the late Monty Oum.
> 
> While I was working on a more ambitious story ("After that Day", coming soon, I hope) I was trying to set up the back story for Blake/Yang for use in flashbacks, and for some reason the ideas for Blake pov just kept coming to the point decided to give them their own story. This is meant to be a quick and easy set of stories to get back into writing, so may be a bit rough.

I'm thinking about her, and I can't help thinking about why I keep thinking of her. It is confusing enough to be a Faunus at the best of times, and trying to hide it makes it worse - always second guessing yourself. Constantly over thinking in case some impulse gives you away. Of course since I am in the room with the team that isn't an issue, but it has to be habit. Right now I'm thinking about Yang; that has been happening a lot lately. Left to themselves my thoughts keep wondering up to the top bunk, to her. Of course no one knows this, as far as they know I am reading - I have had a lot of practice hiding my thoughts. We are on our beds - Yang, judging by the frustrated sighing, is doing her last minute history homework, Weiss is further lengthening her 2 month reading lead for the same class and Ruby is frantically finishing an essay that was technically due yesterday; one day she will meet a teacher immune to her wide-eyed charm, but it hasn't happened yet.

At first the upward pull seemed fairly obvious - my instincts yearning for the high ground. So to conceal them I eagerly accepted the lower bunk. Going up there to read when I have the room to myself didn't solve anything, it just felt empty. So that leaves Yang. More than a year since I chose her as a partner she still confounds me. It all seemed so simple back then: I would watch a few of my classmates fight and choose the least annoying one still standing. Yang was the first one I encountered; for a moment when I saw those two Ursas stalking her I thought I would have to rescue her. Then I saw her fight, and I was lost. After the first kill, even though I knew she could handle the second one I couldn't help myself, I had to make a big entrance. It wasn't that she could fight - she got into Beacon, that was a given; it was how she enjoyed it. I met people who enjoyed violence in the White Fang, particularly towards the end. A sprit of gleeful malice that, without exception, made my skin crawl. But with Yang there was no malice, just freedom. She let herself go, and happened, like a force of nature. At the time I was simply awestruck, but now I think of it as one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I knew that Ruby would came with Yang, and I was ok with that, though Weiss was a bit of a shock. I'm right where I chose to be, so why does it feel like something is missing.

I can hear paper rustling; glancing across I see Ruby has tossed a note down to Weiss, who with an exaggerated show of exasperation picks it up and reads it, before looking across the room at me then up; with a quiet snort she rolls her eyes and goes back to reading. I've given up trying to work out what is going on there, those two are ridiculous.

Yang is a double mystery, so simple and open, but there is always more. That story about looking for her mother. Asking me to the dance. As if that wasn't enough I never know how I am going to react, she makes my emotions go crazy. I want to hug her when I should be angry, like that laser pointer stunt. Then last week I bit her head off when she is 10 minutes late for a casual study date in the library; even if she blew me off it shouldn't be that big of a deal. If it was anyone else, I'd ask Yang, she is the people person.

Wham! Something has landed in the middle of the room. What the? Oh. Ruby has finished her essay and leapt off the bed, I must have zoned out; that never used to happen.  
"Hey Weiss, want to do some training before class?" They've been like this ever since we started studying advanced Aura techniques, always slipping off together whenever they have a bit of free time.  
"You've finished the essay?" Weiss' sounds cautious.  
"Four thousand words, plus references." I can hear the smirk in her voice.  
"I'm in the middle of a chapter!"  
"I'll let you check my spelling" Ruby's voice has a lilting seductive quality, and I can't help glancing over to see the show. Weiss is making a production of turning a page, pretending to be engrossed.  
Ruby sighs "Ok, grammar too, but you have to get me cookies" Weiss remains unmoved.  
Ruby is moving in closer and leaning in to whisper in her ear; with my hearing it doesn't make much difference "I've had some ideas, about last time. I think we can do it better"  
Weiss shuts the book loudly, and sits up "Your wish is my command." Her tone is sarcastic, but she is smiling as Ruby drags her out the door. Completely ridiculous.

I can hear Weiss talking as they walk away "Come on, pretending to read while staring at each other _though_ the bed, " Ok, so maybe I missed turning a page for a while, but what is she talking about? Is Yang thinking about me? Has she noticed how much I've been thinking about her? I can add a whole other level to my partner related musings.

With a smooth movement Yang has jumped down from her bed. Saved from my thoughts at last! Nice quiet landing, she can be very graceful.  
"Um..." but not always articulate. She fidgets for a while before sitting on the edge of my bed right down at the foot. Her awkwardness seems to be catching because I don't know what to say either so I just sit up on the the edge of the bed near the head. Her eyes keep flicking to my face, then up a little to the bow, then back down to the floor... Oh, it is going to be that sort of conversation.

Of course we all had talked about the White Fang, and everyone seemed fine with me being a Faunus, but we have never talked about it as such, every one is too polite; well, everyone except Yang, it would seem.

"Hi", seems she has found her voice again, so I guess I need to respond.  
"Hello." She actually waves at me, and I only just stop my self waving back, definitely catching; we must look like idiots, blushing idiots. Where is this even coming from?

Yang seems to gather her resolve, swallows and quickly shifts up the bed until she is close to me, then stares at the bow for a long moment.  
"Is it uncomfortable?" before I can answer she continues, "I mean, cooped up under there, it must be." What? Oh the bow. Kind of a relief, this is 100% Yang - she can't bear anything that restricts her freedom of movement, and I know how she loves to feel the air on her skin, once you know this her outfit makes perfect sense. Though, of course, that isn't the explanation everyone thinks of first and she never bothers to correct them, just another Yang contradiction.

I never really thought about my clothing in that way, but I guess I am a bit the same way. The fact is, to fully realise your Aura you have to take every opportunity to be yourself, to 'bear you true self outward', hence all the dress up. I suspect the public at large think we are all fashion challenged freaks, but it gives an edge too significant to ignore.

So probably for months now she has been obsessing about my poor little ears in their silky prison. Maybe as a handicap, maybe just out of concern. I'm not really sure how to respond.  
"It isn't really that constricting. I guess it is a bit annoying but I'm used to it. I can still hear pretty well." Besides, hiding is totally me.  
"So you can hear with them?" Oops, we don't generally talk about that, but I suppose it isn't a real secret.  
"Mostly the extra ears are just um, decorative, but yes some of us can hear with them."  
"So Velvet could be listening to half the school?" I hadn't even thought about that, it is a bit disquieting, even if it is pretty unlikely.  
"I don't know about Velvet, it is pretty random." this is more than I have ever talked about being a Faunus to someone who isn't, but it doesn't feel that weird. We sit in silence for a while, then Yang starts to move.  
She reaches for the bow but pauses mid way  
"May I?"  
The weirdness is back tenfold, my heart is racing and I don't trust my voice. But this feels important so I bow my head to give her easier access.  
She is so gentle it is almost imperceptible, a feather light touch from one hand to steady my head and the other gently pulling the bow free, I feel a shiver running though my body as the ribbon is pulled clear exposing my feline anatomy. It does feel nice to be free and I can feel my ears moving around subconsciously twitching and tracking the noises in the building. There are a few more feather touches as she smooths my hair; it is almost impossible to think of those same hands beating the Grimm to death.

After a few moments I take a quick glance up at her face, moving my eyes rather than my head; she is enraptured, wide eyed flushed and smiling. Just looking. We have never been in each others personal space this long. I can feel my cheeks burning; this isn't some interspecies awkwardness, I have a terrible feeling I know what is going on and staring into Yang's cleavage, watching the gentle movement as she breathes, isn't making it go away.

I finally move my head to look her in the face, and she is looking at me now - not the top of my head but at my whole face, and if anything she seems more awestruck, flushed and slightly smiling. I suspect looking into a mirror I would see something similar. It seems like I can feel her presence directly; that faint mental pull from before now seems wholly physical, an incredible force pulling me towards her. I really don't know how long I can resist; if I want to resist.

After some immeasurable interval a clock beeps, marking the hour, and suddenly Yang jumps back, breaking the spell.  
"I have to get to class"  
I glance at the clock, it is still an hour before class.  
Yang seems to realise this too, "I have to take a run... a long run ... and um shower." I try, and nearly succeed, not to think of Yang showering  
"A cold shower does sound good" from the look on her face she has just fallen at the same mental hurdle; and she knows I hate cold showers.  
She backs quickly out of the room, calling out only as she closes the door "Bye!"


	2. Not a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake wants to go on as normal, Yang is determined to tackle the situation head on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate it when a story goes from "then I saw her face" to "Now I'm sitting on her face" in a couple of sentences, this chapter is part of an effort to avoid that (cooked up once I decided to separate this story, the original ideas focused later in the relationship). I'm not entirely happy with the dialog, or Blake's inner voice, but rather than get bogged down rewriting for the moment I'll press on and try to do better next chapter.

It has been almost a week since our "encounter"; Yang has been jumpy all day, and now our last class is almost finished. I know what is coming, because once Yang locks on to an idea she always sees it though, no matter how insane.

And it is insane. Even ignoring the fact that we are technically from different species, we are partners and team-mates and we are so good together, so very good. Having someone beside me who I can rely on, that I can really trust, that is something I never had in the White Fang. To risk that just to experiment with this 'thing' is unthinkable.  
Not to mention the girl thing; I'm still trying to get my head around that. I really haven't thought about romance much - reading those books sure, but I never put myself in there emotionally, at least not until this last week. I just keep to a distance, like some weird voyeur in my own imagination. And I am almost certain that when I was not thinking about romance I was not thinking about men, not magnificent warrior women with great hair and kissable lips.

I need to shut her down firmly; gently but firmly. Because there is only one sane answer. If have to be the only one in our partnership using my brain then I will to say it for both of us.

Class is over now and we are walking towards the door, Ruby and Weiss have already disappeared, of to train wherever it is they go. Simply by moving slowly Yang and I are now the only ones left in the room as we reach the door.

She gently takes hold of my hand and looks me in the eyes, swallowing nervously. Here it comes; I'm not sure what it is going to be - a kiss? A declaration of love, or an invitation to some over the top romantic date... whatever happens I am not going to agree to a date.  
Her voice is quiet, uncertain "Blake, I think... I think we need to talk. About the thing uh, the 'us' thing."  
Damn, I totally should have done that; not that I believe we have the same expectations of this talk but it is what we need to do. I should respond, something positive but non-committal.  
"Ok." I read, it does wonders for my vocabulary.  
"We could get coffee, and um tea, for you?" This seems safe so far, where is the catch?  
"Right" I'm on a roll.  
"There is a place in Vale, it's quiet, private." I frown slightly, but she hastily continues "So we can talk, privately. Friends do that"  
Well, not a date. Going to town makes it more of a thing; but she is right. This isn't a conversation I want to have at school, let alone in the room in front of our teammates. Speaking of...  
"We should tell them we are going to town"  
"I already told Ruby we might be gone a few hours, it will be fine" And who knows how much else she's told her, but I guess I will have to deal with that later. At least, despite first impressions, Ruby can keep a secret, scarily so. We are in our uniforms still, but I guess that will only make us less recognisable. Agreeing seems the best course.  
"Now it is?" She seems to have forgotten she never asked me about the time, but I guess we should get it done, so I'll let it slide. Confidence at least partly restored she smiles and starts dragging me to the terminal... she is still holding my hand.

***

The Cafe is gorgeous, I am definitely coming here again. It's, well it's so many words I am absolutely not going to apply to this 'meeting', so it's pretty and private and I'm leaving it at that. Turns out there is a problem with doing this in town, we exhausted all the innocent small talk on the journey here so now we are sitting in silence looking at our drinks. Yang is back to jumpy-anxious, and apparently I am a bad enough person that it is making me feel better. Confident enough to break the impasse anyway.  
"So we were going to talk?" She actually jumps, just a little bit. I think I like nervous Yang, or I like that she cares enough to be this wound up... which is totally not where I should be going with this.  
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she opens her eyes again she is noticeably calmer.  
"I guess the first thing is to make sure we are on the same page, about what we feel, felt, when, you know when"  
I look down in shame. It didn't even cross my mind that I might have misread her, projecting my feelings, that she might not think about me that way. Apparently I am not only sexually confused I am massively conceited. I can feel a blush rising in my cheeks, and I know she can see it.  
"I'll take that as confirmation. We both have... romantic feelings." Her nerves have settled again; heat isn't the only thing Yang can radiate, right now I'm feeling a whole lot of smug coming off her. So she said it, out loud. At least she used reasonably delicate language, and it isn't too late to steer things to a safe course  
"That doesn't mean we have to act on them. We can just go on, like it was before." Partners, friends. Good, safe, friends.  
"It doesn't mean we can't either. Don't you want to know?"  
To know what it feels like to be in each others arms, feeling her warmth, breathing her scent, kissing her while the world just falls away... no, the thought hasn't crossed my mind, except maybe for every idle moment for the last week. And some not so idle moments, I actually walked into a door when Ruby casually mentioned Yang having a wardrobe malfunction when they were swimming last summer, luckily Yang wasn't there to see that but I'm pretty sure I heard Weiss giggle. Given Yang has been talking to Ruby I may have to revisit my assumption that it was a coincidence. Of course Yang wants to try something new, it's who she is; but we have too much to lose.  
"So we want to know. We have so much to lose. What if it doesn't work out, what are we then?" Oops, I probably should have denied wanting to know. I guess this cat let herself out of the bag, curiosity and all.  
"It doesn't have to be bad, even if it doesn't work out" She is still riding the wave of confidence from my admissions, and isn't about to stop. Her smile widens, she must have had an idea.  
"You and Sun" ok, that is a bit out of left field  
"Pardon?"  
"You went out a few times, dated but now you aren't"  
"Ok" I think I see where this is going, but there is a flaw  
"It didn't work out, but you don't hate each other"  
"We are in separate kingdoms, we don't do much of anything. Besides what about Weiss and Neptune" and the fact that you can stir my emotions more with a look than Sun ever could with a kiss.  
"Weiss hates everyone" she dismisses my counterpoint with an airy wave.  
She knows her argument is weak. I'm not going to sway her with words, time for the old reliable stare down. Working better than I thought, only a few seconds and she is starting to squirm... one one-hundred, two one-hundred....thirty-. Suddenly she sits up straight.  
"How about this? We spend the rest of the day together, no labels, just a good time, hanging out, Blake and Yang. At the end of the day, if you don't want to call it a date, it isn't a date, no consequences. And I won't ask you out again" I guess it is a good deal, I can let her down gently, and I get hours of Yang time, always a bonus. She is leaving herself a lot of wiggle room by only ruling out asking me out, but maybe it is just flattering that even if I shut her down she won't give up entirely. It is rather too well thought out for a spur of the moment idea, especially from Yang. Probably Ruby's doing, but still.  
"Ok. Non specific social meeting it is."  
"So what do you want to do?" Yang time and I get to pick the activity, this is my kind of not-date.  
"Conversation." I smile, and she looks a little nervous. Excellent I have Yang at my mercy, and while I know what they say about curiosity there are some things I've been dying to know, straight from the source.  
"Nice weather?" she suggests hopefully. I'm not letting her off that easily.  
"So, Yang, what might people normally talk about on a 'unlabelled' social meeting"  
"Um. School? Friends? Movies?" I'm back to the stare down. It's a topic she has always been a little cagey about, and since everything about Yang tends to grow in the retelling it's no good asking anybody else. Her shoulders slump, she's worked it out.  
"Exes" I am so bad, and I know she will see my curiosity as potentially romantic interest, but I really want to know and I don't think there will be another chance like this. Besides, it is sort of relevant to establishing our chances of success if we did go there. I soften my gaze and smile, I hope encouragingly.  
"But you have to go too"  
"Sad as it is, we have already covered that - Sun, a few dates, few kisses and that's all she wrote"  
"Nothing, ... before?" She is hesitant, but I guess fair is fair, I should give her an answer.  
"A crush or two, maybe. It wasn't exactly high school, not even combat school. I was a kid on the run with a bunch of fanatics. I guess there were probably a few people who might have tried to take advantage of that, but the rest had my back so I never had any trouble"  
"It must have been hard to leave, knowing you were leaving people who looked out for you"  
"I had to leave, for me. And I realised that just because they didn't take advantage of me /that/ way, didn't mean they were good people. Definitely didn't make what we were doing right." I've dropped my gaze to the floor, looking up I see that she is just looking at me with sympathy and lo... unlabelled affection.  
Yang clears her throat "So now, me" she shifts a little "Anything you've heard is probably untrue, unless it was from Ruby"  
"Ruby hasn't told me a thing"  
"Right. Well there isn't actually as much as people say. A bunch of first dates, mostly" Which is much like some things I have heard, but with totally different insinuation, not that I gave those stories any credibility.  
"Which is to say things didn't get any further, not even kissing" based on the clarification, she may have heard the same rumours.  
"Wow, I mean I would have thought" Uh, oh dangerous territory, but since we are supposed to be in a consequence free zone I can risk a little truth "I mean you are nice, you look great. It seems like a lot of people would be interested."  
"I was an awkward kid. I was big and short tempered and it was kind of me and Ruby against the world. People left me pretty much alone"  
"I guess I can see that" I never thought much about younger Yang, but now it comes up I really want to know. I wonder if Ruby has any pictures. Yang seems to be lost in her story  
"Then when I was thirteen, suddenly, bam" she gestures to her chest, her meaning quite clear, "these blow up, and everybody wants to be my friend"  
"That must have been hard" My heart is aching in sympathy for little socially awkward Yang bombarded with unwanted attention. Yang doesn't even pause for a 'that what she said' joke, and ploughs on.  
"Guys from two or three grades above; even adults hitting on me in front of the school, though Dad and Qrow dealt with a couple of them and I guess word got around so that stopped pretty quickly" Well, I wanted to know.  
"And the guys near my age, they seemed to totally forget I was that girl who punched their lights out for looking at her the wrong way and started pestering me for dates. But as it turns out repeated impact can stimulate memory because after a while they mostly left me alone" Yang pauses here with a small smile, before continuing  
"Of course as I got a bit older it didn't seem like such a bad idea after all, and some of the guys didn't seem that bad, so I said yes. It started out well enough, you know how it is-" She seemed to realise her audience here, "or not. Um hanging out; or playing grown up, going out for a meal. But as it turns out teenage boys, or the ones brave enough to ask me out, only have two modes and things would be going well, conversation would start slow down and they would... go for the prize" This is a bit ambiguous  
"They groped you?" this seems likely.  
"And I hit them, date over"  
"How many times did this happen?"  
"Just a few times, like I said, impact based learning is very effective; it even works on people who aren't there"  
"And that was it?"  
"There were a couple of guys I dated for a few weeks - one turned out to be gay, we still talk sometimes; and the other turned out to be cheating on me the whole time" At this point I think I know the pattern  
"More impact based learning?" Yang smiles ruefully before answering  
"Yeah. I may have kicked him around the school a few times. He transferred out." I suppose it was a bit thuggish, but I see where she was coming from. Yang is now eyeing me nervously. So there is more, I'll just wait. It doesn't take long  
"So um, that leaves the girls" Girls? this is the first I've heard of that. This isn't an entirely new thing for her. I'm leaning forward with interest.  
"The first one is kind of embarrassing. I had just turned 15, and it seemed like she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen; I got up the nerve to ask her out, and I was blown away when she said yes." She quickly glances at me to check my reaction, cautiously encouraging I hope, "Anyway I went all out, fancy restaurant, held the door for her, her chair, the whole deal. It was great, amazing even; we got though the meal but during dessert the conversation died and I panicked. I guess I felt like if we weren't moving forward we were done, so I fell back on the only experience I had.." Only experience she had? Oh, no  
"You didn't?"  
"I did"   
"And?"  
"She slapped me. Date over." Sympathy aside, this is hilarious, a bit of teasing seems in order  
"Lesson learned?" Yang hunches and blushes.  
"Yeah. Thoroughly learned" At least I know she wont get fresh just because we run out of conversation.  
"Um not that its a big deal to me, but she was a Faunus, cat Faunus. I swear it's not a thing, just a coincidence" Her hands are up defensively and for the first time she looks worried about how I will react, as well she should be. It makes the ear thing a bit more concerning. But she didn't have to tell me, and it's not like she was all over me the minute she found out, so I guess... Obviously I'm taking too long thinking since she has started talking again.  
"If it helps, she was nothing like you. She was blonde, she had green eyes and I realised later she was totally useless - expected people to do everything for her; she moved on to some guy in like five minutes. Probably only went out with me because I was the top of the pecking order" It does help; maybe just because she is so confident I'm not like that. And we all make mistakes; when Yang was grabbing boob with the kitty bitch, I was probably planting explosives. I'll let her off, I mean I'm not really planning to date her anyway.  
"Fair enough"  
"So that brings us to the the other girl, my last year before Beacon - she asked me out, she wasn't a Faunus. It went really well we hung out, went on dates and it lasted almost two months."  
"What did you do?" Ok, I'm being a little harsh, but look at the precedent.  
"That one wasn't exactly my fault. So, anyway things where going well, she had been around to my place a few times and she finally invited me over to her house. I guess you know my home life is pretty informal; anyway her family where completely the opposite, not ultra-rich or snobbish, but kind of posh - dress up, eat dinner at the table and make polite conversation. I was on my best behaviour, it actually seemed like they quite liked me - her dad even made a comment, um in a friendly way, about how this must all seem a bit unusual, but they felt that manners were important. So I made some offhand comment about how I since I was dating his daughter I would need to get used to it, and things got really chilly really fast. It turned out she had told them I was her combat tutor, and had never told them about dating anyone, let alone a girl. She had never told me her parents didn't know, but she still blamed me for outing her." Yang shoulders are sagging - it was rather a depressing line up, and not a great precedent for future relationships, her time at Beacon has been almost completely dateless, but I can't help be a little envious that at least she had been though the process. I probably should lighten the tone.  
"You first kiss would be a lot further back than mine" Yang suddenly tenses, she looks quite alarmed, but covers quickly with a generic smile.  
"A few years. The first time I kissed on a date was the gay guy" I suppose that might be a bit of a regret; wait 'on a date'?  
"And not on a date?" I really have to work on this curiosity thing, but it is her fault for indulging me; she seems to be dead set on only telling the truth and the temptation is just too much.  
"It depends how you define kiss..." This is getting ridiculous, 'not a date' is supposedly where we are now, but I don't think she has done that before; does that mean a friend? Yangs friends are always a bit of a blur. I'm just going to have to push.  
"Lip-to-lip extended contact; erotic, we aren't talking about kissing your relatives on the holidays" Oh no, we aren't are we? It better not be kitty bitch. I just want to scratch her face off. Wait, what the hell was that. I'm feeling territorial, about someone who dumped her, years before we met, after one date. This doesn't bode well. I'll keep saying no, eventually even Yang will give up and find someone else and - it will hurt, one way I risk losing what I have with Yang, the other I definitely lose a part of her. Yang says something so quiet and indistinct I missed it, I guess my panic took enough time for her to gather her courage. It sounded almost like...  
"Sorry, I didn't hear that" I hope she doesn't think I'm just twisting the knife.  
"Ruby" Quiet but more distinct this time. It's not easy to know how to respond  
"So, how was that?" So help me, a little part of me really wants to know if Ruby is a good kisser.  
"Nice, actually. But she was a bit hands on." Groping her sister, just when I think I have plumbed the Ruby's depths. Yang seems to feel the need to explain a bit more.  
"It was just before the Faunus date. I was freaking out, so Ruby suggested that we could practice. It seemed like a good idea, and it did calm me down, but it isn't the greatest first kiss story" No kidding.  
"You could just not count it, it isn't really romantic"  
"The sad thing is, nothing I've done since has been much better than a draw" Yikes. Note to self: don't kiss Ruby, who knows what she's learned since.

***

So, here we are watching the sun set from the lookout a few minutes from Beacon. To be honest I can't really say how we spent the afternoon - we left the cafe and walked though the city, decided to walk all the way back to Beacon up the old path. We walked, we talked and we spent pretty much the whole time holding hands. It is just so easy to spend time with Yang, pleasant fun - that was never the problem, we have always worked well together; it's not something I can risk. I've let things slip today, and that is going to make it harder - not just holding hands, but the smiles, the meaningful looks - Yang has been flirting and she wasn't the only one. Even now sitting on the bench I am pressed against her, with her arm around my shoulders - any closer and I would be in her lap, so help me I think I would be ok with that. The sun has set - end of the day, time to return to the real world.

I reluctantly leave my little pice of heaven, and stand up - I need to say this to her face. Her beautiful face, those wonderful, peaceful violet eyes fixed on me like I'm the most important thing in the universe. This is going to be even harder than I thought. Her face is expectant, but carefully neutral, her lips not smiling, her slightly flushed cheeks, the cascade of golden hair that I know to be so soft, silky and with a delicate scent entirely of it's own, clear and warm like summer. Her chest rising and falling gently as she breaths. How long have I been standing here? I know exactly what I have to do - the sensible course is clear - but it just isn't in me. She just looks at me and I can't. Dammit. I close my eyes.  
"Yang..." I can hear her hold her breath, I risk a peek, nope still total total paralysis, back to eyes closed.  
"Yang, you know my position on this, the reasons why we shouldn't do this. It's not that I don't like you. I lo-. I like spending time with you, I know that you want to..." Words are getting difficult to find. Want, that is the problem. What do I want? I know what is sensible; I know what I wanted before - a place in the world to do good, and the plan I made to get there before I came to Beacon. This wasn't part of the plan; but it doesn't break it either.  
"Blake, are you ok?" Must have been quiet too long. I open my eyes. Yang still looking at me maybe a little more worried than before. What I need? What I want? I need to know if anything could possibly be as good as I want this to be. There is only one way to know; I'm afraid, but I don't want to be. Logic isn't seeming so helpful now, maybe I just have to be true to myself. Blake Belladonna, Faunus, Ex-terrorist, fugitive, Huntress-in-training, team-member, partner and love-struck teenager; in this moment what would she do?  
"Kiss me" It is a quiet whisper, barely audible, but after my silence Yang is startled.  
"Pardon?"  
"If this was a date, kiss me" this time words were a lot easier to find.  
"Really?" Yang is looking at me with an expression of such joy that it comes closer to awe. She really thought I could resist her; and that just makes it... more. The world lurches. I thought the earth wasn't supposed to move until we kissed. I just nod. It takes a moment for Yang to work out how to stand, but we are close, eyes closed face tilting lips drawing closer... to miss. My lips meet the corner of her mouth; at least we didn't bang heads. Immediately, we try again and get it right, maybe that is auspicious. Lips to lips, sweet, almost chaste. I suppose we could have had the same kiss before and it would have been unremarkable, but now it is significant, the start of something.  
"So we are really doing this" Yang is back to smiling; I am too I suppose.  
"Yes"  
"We are dating"  
"Yes"  
"I'm your girlfriend"  
"We've only been on one date!" Yang looks downcast, and I relent "Ok, technically, looking forward, you are my girlfriend and I am your girlfriend."  
"Sorry, I just wanted..."  
"To be clear?" I guess things have been pretty confused lately. We really do need to clear the air "But..." this time Yang cuts me off  
"We take it slow" I nod, it is nice, to be on the same side again.  
"So about..." Yang looks meaningfully in the direction of Beacon. It's a good point I'm not sure I'm ready to go public, or even what that would actually mean after only one date. But our team.. it's not like we could hide it from them anyway.  
"Ruby and Weiss already know, sort of; we can't exactly hide it from them. The rest, can we just see how it goes?"  
"Go with the flow?" Yang smiles wider, "I think I can manage that".  
Another kiss before we go, a little more movement, lingering longer; the potential for more looming larger, straining against our resolve. Slow doesn't mean standing still, I'm not sure we could.

***

After the gloom of the twilight outside the brightness in the room hurts my eyes, but the discomfort fades rapidly as they adjust; Ruby leaps down from her bed to greet us with a smile.  
"How was the date?" after that question her smile seems a little more knowing. Yang glances quickly at me to double check before answering  
"Awesome" Which I suppose leaves me with the burden of actual communication  
"We talked, we are going to try things as a couple"  
"That's great, you guys are so good together" Ruby hugs us both so quickly I almost expect to see rose petals. I glance at Weiss who has looked up from her reading. Ruby's reaction I was fairly sure of but Weiss I just don't know.  
"It has to be better than all the sexual tension." Her smile softens the words.  
Sounds like our team-mates have fewer issues with this than I do; I suppose JNPR will be next, but I think that can wait until we have a few dates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone with a long history of unfinished stories I told myself I wouldn't post anything until I had two chapters - and here we are. I'm not working with a buffer, since I'm not deluded enough to try to meet an update schedule.
> 
> The idea is that this story will be almost a series of one shots with no continuous arc except for the progression of B/Y so I wont feel too guilty if I leave it hanging - that said, for once I really do have quite detailed plans for the whole set of chapters and I do plan to make a real effort to see it through - so fingers crossed.


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